Sunday, August 14, 2011

PH envoy visits Pinoy who lost car to rioters | ABS-CBN News

LINK: PH envoy visits Pinoy who lost car to rioters | ABS-CBN News


LONDON – Philippine Ambassador Rey Catapang visited Croydon where some 200 Filipino families live. 
Croydon is one of the badly hit areas during the rioting that spiraled out of control on Monday. 
No Filipino was reported hurt in Croydon, but the car of one named Arnel was stolen. 
“Sabi nila 'get off the car.' Nung di ako gumagalaw, may sumakay sa passenger seat, sumakay naman yung isa sa likuran,” Arnel said.
Arnel did not fight back to avoid getting hurt. 
“Ibigay na lang kung ano ang gusto nila kaysa buhay ang kunin. Materyal na bagay napapalitan,” he said.
In the emergency session of the Parliament, Prime Minister David Cameron said the fight back has begun and no one will be spared.
With the help of CCTV footage, scores of riot offenders are being identified. Scotland Yard staged a series of raids to bring more offenders to justice.   
The government said 20 million pounds will be earmarked to help the victims of rioting.   
Ambassador Catapang said Filipino victims should come forward to receive assistance or compensation. 
“Yung entitlement nila sa compensation, tinutulungan natin sila na makipag-usap sa local authorities other than that, we have offered to help them in anyway." 
A Filipino was hurt in Birmingham riots and 2 Pinoys reported cases of damage to property.
But a Croydon Filipino Community leader said the rioting has affected Pinoys in varying degrees. 
“Yung mga Pinoy sa healthcare affected sila sa transportation kasi may mga areas na naparalisa,” said Rommel Abellar. 
Life started to return to back to normal but Pinoys here are still coming to terms with the horror of the violence that left homes and businesses ruined and people injured and dead.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

No Filipinos hurt in London riots – DFA

LINK: No Filipinos hurt in London riots – DFA

MANILA - No Filipinos have been involved in the riots in London, and other parts of the United Kingdom, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.
In an interview aired on 990AM, DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said that they have been in close coordination with acting ambassador to UK Reynaldo Catapang in London.
He added that leaders of Filipino communities in the country had been alerted, and are monitoring the status of the riots which began Saturday night. The DFA likewise issued an advisory for Filipinos in London warning them to be alert, and refrain from going to business and shopping centers where looting are rampant, and violence are escalating, Hernandez said.
The DFA spokesman said that Filipinos in London may contact the Philippine embassy’s hotline at numbers 00-44-780-279-06-95. The hotline is open to receive complaints, or reports related to the ongoing riots.
Meanwhile, those in Manila who have relatives in London may contact the DFA at 834-33-33.
The riots in London began Saturday night when an initially peaceful protest on a police shooting turned violent, wire agencies reported.
London police on Wednesday deployed 16,000 policemen, and has reportedly calmed down youth rioters. But violence has reportedly erupted in other parts of the UK, as well.
(Inquirer.net)

Monday, June 6, 2011

Philippine Independence Day 2011

LINK: http://www.eadocepares.com/news/2011/05062011_Philippine_Independence_Day.shtml


EA Doce Pares were present at the annual 113th Philippine Independence Day celebration in Morden on 5th-6th June.

On 5th June 2011, EA Doce Pares was part of the cultural experience of a massive crowd of guests celebrating the Philippine Independence (officially 12th June).

Despite of the on and off rains, the team were able to get people involved and learn about the Philippine art of Eskrima. The Mayor of Morden also came up personally, along with the Philippine Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission Mr and Mrs Rey Catapang, to see a demo performed especially for him.

The new EA Doce Pares has become bigger and better and you will be seeing more of us this year!

Happy Independence Day to all our Kababayans!!!

Philippine Independence Day 2011 in Morden
EA Doce Pares with Philippine Embassy's Deputy Chief
of Mission Mr and Mrs Rey Catapang and the Mayor of
Morden 

Saturday, February 12, 2011

UK-based UP alumni reminisce student days, form group | ABS-CBN News

LINK: UK-based UP alumni reminisce student days, form group | ABS-CBN News


The first ever get-together of the University of the Philippines (UP) alumni in the United Kingdom (UK) at the Philippine Embassy in London last Saturday, spearheaded by the one of the most distinguished alumnus of UP, ambassador Edgardo Espiritu, opened a plethora of anecdotes on UP life.

Some 120 alumni from UP Diliman, Los BaƱos, Manila, and Visayas attended the gathering, each one with vivid memory of ikot (the jeepney service at UP campus), oblation run, STFAP, lantern parade, Philippine Collegian (Kule) among many others.

 "I think my best memory in UP would be writing for the Philippine Collegian. Most of the nights, I would stay in Kule office and spend the whole evening discussing so many things. In the morning, we would all go to Rodics and eat there – tapsilog.  At that time, one of our editors was Richard Gappi and he really was a brilliant guy, but he was such a loser in Math 1 that freshmen like us would take turns mocking him since he could not pass the subject,” said Nelson Turgo, a postdoctoral student in Sociology at Cardiff University in Wales.

 “During our time, ikot ride was free and it was only 50 cents from UP (Diliman) to Quiapo,” said the ambassador’s wife Lydia Espiritu, who studied in UP during the 50’s and an alumnae of UP College of Social Work and Community Development.

 “Being in UP and in both activist orgs (the Philippine Collegian and the University Student Council) during my formative years shaped who I am and what I do today. I think being in UP was not just an academic experience, but a humanizing one. I learned 'how to be person' there, so to speak. UP gave me the space and the inspiration to dream of a better future for our country. I'm guessing I speak for many UP alumni when I say that after leaving UP, I continue to try to search for how this dream can take shape, said Lourdes Gordolan who is now affiliated as a Research Associate at COMPAS in Oxford.

 A short self-introduction was required of the attendees to include information about their work affiliation in the UK and the degree they earned from UP but UP student number was optional.

 Many, if not all preferred not to reveal their student numbers as it was tantamount to revealing their age. The first two numbers of the UP student number starts with the year students entered UP.

 The attendees roared into laughter when Deo Reyes, Philippine Embassy’s Commercial Counselor explained that during his UP days, student numbers were not yet part of UP system. The issuance of student numbers for students enrolling at UP came much later.

 A core group was installed to work on the University of the Philippines Alumni Association’s (UPAA) UK chapter accreditation.

 “There is no UPAA in Europe and I think London is a best place to start one. Basically, it’s being able to organize ourselves to be able to help our former university. I’m sure there are a lot of alumni in Europe who are willing to help our alma mater. It’s tapping the potential of these people to help back home,” said Desiree Latimer, a UP alumnae who is one of the organizers of the get-together.

 “Ito kasing proyektong pag-organise ng meeting ng UP alumni ay kasama na sa proyektong magkaroon ng linkages ang Filipino dito sa United Kingdom. Umpisa pa lang itong UP. We also encourage graduates of other universities to from a group, not only for social networking but also for professional networking and hopefully to participate in other Filipino activities in the future,” explained Theresa Dizon-De Vega,  UP alumnae and now Minister and Consul General of the Philippine Embassy in London.

 At its nascent stage, De Vega is confident the formation of a UPAA chapter in the UK will be beneficial for various Filipino communities here.

 “Yun po ang inaasahan naming dito sa embahada na itong paunang pagtitipon magbubunga ng mga scholarship program, tulong sa ating unibersidad, para rin makatulong sa ating community sa UK,” said De Vega.

 Before the attendees broke off for a ‘salu- salo’ Pinoy-style, the UP hymn, ‘UP Naming Mahal’ was sang.

UP alumni who are officials of the embassy will act as UPAA-UK chapter adviser: First Secretary and Consul Neil Frank Ferrer; Second Secretary and Consul Maria Theresa Lazaro; Deputy Chief of Mission Rey Catapang and Ambassador Edgardo Espiritu who was one time UPAA president